Multimedia project: Understanding sustainable development

DW’s multimedia-special "Voices from today - Ideas for tomorrow" presents innovative projects and ideas. "It's about a new, sustainable approach to development for our protagonists and authors, just as it is for the participants in the Rio+20 summit," said Editor in Chief Ute Schaeffer. "The question of how we deal with the unequally distributed economic growth, with technology and social goals will be decisive for global development. The media should accompany this controversial and decisive process. We are doing that with a series of reports from Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America."

Most of the ambitious goals set in Agenda 21 - an agreement passed by the first UN Earth Summit on sustainable development in 1992 - have not been achieved. Nevertheless, there are numerous encouraging examples worldwide, as the DW project shows. One report looks at female activists in Malawi who serve as key figures for implementing development projects. We also tell the story of a virtual market place in Africa, based on a mobile phone network, where farmers can sell their products or transfer money in regions that don’t have banks.

"Women are essential for sustainable development and they part of the solution," said the Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet. She is one of a number of prominent authors who participated in the multimedia project "Voices from today - Ideas for tomorrow" that DW is presenting in German, English and other foreign languages.

Interacting with users around the globe plays a vital role in this project. We invite them to send us their wishes, demands, and proposals for the Rio+20 Conference via Facebook. Their texts, photos, and videos will be linked by geotagging.

The topic of education and sustainable development is also an important component of the Global Media Forum, which will take place at Deutsche Welle in Bonn from June 25 to 27. Renowned experts from Germany and abroad - including philosopher Thomas Pogge and World Bank finance expert Mahmoud Mohieldin - will discuss the role of the media on Wednesday, June 27, at the World Conference Center Bonn. They will also discuss concrete achievements that have been made during the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014).